Adrenaline
by mentalagent13
Summary: Usually, her adrenaline is tailored to her excitement. The unknown is exciting, and she has never once regretted going into something unknown. Today her adrenaline is coming from a different source.


**A/N: **I was going through some of my older stories and decided this one needed to be shared. Don't forget to tell me what you think by leaving a review.

**Disclaimer:** I do not even pretend to own anything other than my DVDs and an overactive imagination.

**Adrenaline**

Her heart begins to pound within her chest. She usually loves the feel of it. She lives for the rush that comes from an assassin's best friend. That thing is adrenaline. Adrenaline makes her hyperaware to everything around her. Usually, her adrenaline is tailored to her excitement. The unknown is exciting, and she has never once regretted going into something unknown.

Today her adrenaline is coming from a different source. It does not give her the awareness she seeks. Instead, she wants to turn it off so she doesn't have to deal with the images in front of her right this instant. This is not what her adrenaline is supposed to be used for. Emotions are to be in the back of her mind, unknown. Her adrenaline doesn't normally react to this emotion. That emotion is fear.

All her life she has been taught to fear nothing, no one. It is a lesson she took to heart many years ago. She has stared down the barrel of innumerable guns. Knives have been thrown in her direction that she had barely dodged. She has given and gotten torture. She grits her teeth and laughs every time. Fear does not exist in her world. At least it hadn't…until today.

There was no possible way that she would have ever prepared herself for this. None. She has watched many people die in many gruesome ways. Heads have been delivered to her. Family has been blown to pieces; too many for them to even be identified. Her weapons have killed many, many more. The number itself is too many for most to comprehend. Who would have thought that one bullet could turn her best weapon into her biggest enemy?

She has kept herself heavily guarded up to this point. Walls went up where most people wouldn't thin to put one. She hides behind them, and there are no holes. Yet, he somehow managed to climb over them. He got past the moat, the archers, the swordsmen, and the sheer height. He took them all down from the inside, using her as his weapon. She gladly let him, but today she wishes she hadn't.

Her mind doesn't register the hand that comes to rest on her shoulder. She doesn't flinch, only stands to stare at the gurney being loaded into a nearby ambulance. Her eyes drift to the blood stain that dries in the sun. She can almost smell its coppery scent and it makes her nauseous. That is something she has never experienced before.

"C'mon, Ziva," Gibbs whispers in her ear. She looks at him trying desperately to find some sort of reassurance in them. His blue eyes offer all they can. She finds strength deep in those depths. He will not allow anything to happen without his permission, of that she is sure.

Gibbs drives and they make it to Bethesda in record time. She's almost surprised they didn't beat the ambulance. A nurse directs them to a waiting room void of color. There are couches and a T.V. rambling something about the weather. She doesn't pay attention; her eyes are focused on the door. Her brain is re-evaluating a scene that happened only moments ago.

The team had entered the house from opposite sides. She and Tony had taken the front, while Gibbs and McGee came from the back. They cleared the house, every room. Their suspect had pulled up just as they were leaving. He got off one shot before she could take him down. The bullet had hit Tony in the bicep. She watched her partner crumple his face twisted in agony. Blood pooled around his wound discoloring the concrete underneath. Everything else is a blur, until the paramedics loaded him into the ambulance.

"Family for Anthony Dinozzo?" a nurse asks. She starts at how close the woman is to her. It takes her another minute to comprehend what the nurse said. Gibbs is already talking to the woman explaining the situation. The woman nods.

"We can only take a few at a time," the nurse tells him.

"Abby, McGee, Ducky, go," Gibbs commands, "Ziva and I will follow."

Twenty minutes later Gibbs leads her to room 422. Abby, Ducky, and McGee are standing outside the door.

"He just fell asleep, Boss," McGee tells him. Gibbs nods his features never changing. The trio walks to the elevator. Abby has returned to her usual happy self, and is telling McGee the finer points of ballistics. McGee looks interested as does Ducky. She hasn't heard a word they said.

"Ziva," she hears. Gibbs is standing in the doorway to Tony's hospital room. His finger is poised in his classic "come here" motion. She takes a wary step toward him. Gibbs does not make requests; he makes demands.

"Gibbs," she responds. Gibbs smirks slightly at her tone. She has collected herself enough to give him her classic gaze of indifference. She has tried to charm Gibbs many times. None of them have worked yet.

"You're staying tonight, Ziva," Gibbs tells her, "I do not need to see you tomorrow either." Gibbs walks down the hall without looking back. He leaves a very confused Ziva in his wake.

She steps into the room, and flinches at the creaking of the door. The last thing she wants to do right now is wake him up. She turns to leave, unsure of why Gibbs told her to stay. It's against hospital regulations.

"Ah, you must be the protective detail Agent Gibbs said would be assigned for tonight," a nurse tells her.

"Yes, I am," Ziva manages to agree. The nurse nods as she checks Tony's charts. Ziva moves around the room. The recliner sitting by the bed does not look comfortable, but if she is on duty she will have to stay awake. It's a good thing she brought her book along with her. The nurse offers her a smile before the door closes.

"You want to join me?" Tony asks breaking the silence. She stares at him her mouth slightly agape. "I mean to sleep Ziva," he says. There is a playfulness in his voice that relaxes her a bit.

"Tony…,"she started.

"You'll fit, plus I'm not really in danger. Gibbs just said that so you could stay," Tony tells her. He never opens his eyes. She crosses her arms. He knows that to make this believable she will have to stay up all night.

"C'mon, Ziva. No one is going to sleep until you start snoring, then at least one of us will," Tony jokes.

"You snore," she states. At last he opens his eyes to look at her. She sees a familiar glint in his eyes beneath the slight glaze of sleep. She sighs as she crawls into bed with him. He won't sleep until he gets what he wants at this point. He knows he can get it too; he's got the injury to prove it.

He shifts to his side to face her. His eyebrow quirks up because he has to lie on his left side. His right arm is the injured one. He's lucky to still have his arm. The bullet went straight through causing a lot of muscle and tendon damage. He has months of physical therapy ahead of him.

She turns her back to him. He carefully pulls her against him. She rolls her eyes and huffs. She can feel as well as hear him chuckle at her annoyance. His injured arm comes into view as it rests against her body. Her eyes shift to study his hand. She can't help her next move. She reaches out and taps his hand lightly. He winces.

"Tony," she tries. She moves away from him, but his good hand tightens on her shoulder.

"Ziva, I will sleep. I've got enough meds in me to knock me out until next week. I have no idea how I am still lucid," Tony sighs. She wants to argue, she really does, but something stops her. Instead, she settles back down. In her mind, she admits defeat and puts more of her weight against him.

'That's better," he mumbles. Her heart beat has finally settled back into a normal rhythm. Adrenaline is no longer her friend. She is tired. His steady breathing and the beating of his heart monitor relaxes her even farther into the realm of sleep. For once in her life she doesn't wish for the endorphin kick that adrenaline brings on. All she wants to do is sleep, and hope that she wakes up before Gibbs comes to visit in the morning.


End file.
